Published on:
10
November 2005
A three bin system is the next stage in the Council's efforts to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
At their meeting on Thursday, councillors agreed to submit a bid to the Scottish Executive's Strategic Waste Fund. Officers have drawn up a joint Forth Valley Strategic Outline Case, working in conjunction with partners in Stirling and Falkirk.
The case explains how Clackmannanshire Council aims to meet the stringent landfill directive targets set down by the EC. The plans include the introduction of a three bin and one box collection system across Forth Valley.
Councillor Harry McLaren, Development and Environmental Services spokesman, said: "The expansion of the recycling initiative will be another step forward in the drive to make Clackmannanshire the most waste aware area in Scotland. And I am delighted that we are taking this initiative forward to the Scottish Executive, along with our partners in Stirling and Falkirk.
"The support we have received to date from local residents for the recycling system has been excellent and their efforts means we are reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill month on month."
Implementation of recycling initiatives in Clackmannanshire to date have been very successful, raising the county to be the top recycling council in Scotland with a rate of 38% for 2004/05.
But the current blue box collection does not have capacity to accept the extended range of materials necessary to meet future targets. A blue wheeled bin would accept paper, cardboard, an extended range of plastic bottles and all types of cans. The box would be retained for the collection of glass, textiles, hazardous household waste and small electronic and electrical equipment. The blue box scheme would also be extended to include flats, so that every household in the county would have access to either kerbside or doorstep recycling services.
A survey of all households in October 2004, showed that 97% of local residents used one or more recycling services offered by the Council. The two most frequent suggestions from residents on how to improve recycling services were the use of an alternative container and expansion of the range of materials collected.
"Consultation has shown that local people are ready and willing to recycle. The new three-bin system will help all of us to do that," added Councillor McLaren.
"We no longer have the option of burying everything we throw away in the ground. It's too expensive in environmental terms. Reducing the waste we create and recycling as much as possible is the only option in the 21st century."
Under the plans, the brown bin collection system will be modified to include fruit and vegetable wastes while recycling services will be extended to commercial waste customers.
Recycling is key to the Forth Valley Area Waste Plan in which Clackmannanshire Council is a leading partner along with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Stirling and Falkirk Councils, Scottish Water, Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley and the Scottish Waste Awareness Group.